This Garmin feature is killing users battery life heres how to disable it

Date:
Mon, 19 Oct 2026 11:32:11 +0000

Description:
Garmins new voice activation feature seems to be killing users battery life.

FULL STORY ======================================================================Copy link Facebook X Whatsapp Reddit Pinterest Flipboard Threads Email Share this article 0 Join the conversation Follow us Add us as a preferred source on Google Newsletter Subscribe to our newsletter Garmin users noticed huge battery drains after updating their watches The new OK Garmin wake word could be to blame Its enabled automatically but can be disabled quickly and easily If youve installed the latest software update on your Garmin watch and have noticed a significant reduction in battery life as a result, there could be a simple explanation but its one you might not even have thought to check.

According to multiple posts on forums and social media, many Garmin users
have seen sizeable decreases in battery life when using their smartwatches on the latest software update. And the main culprit appears to be the devices voice activation. Starting with Garmins September update, you no longer need to press a button to launch voice activation on the Venu 4 , Forerunner 970 and other smartwatches. Instead, you just need to say OK Garmin, then input your command. Latest Videos From TechRadar Watch full video here:

The problem, as many users have found, is that this new feature can drastically reduce your battery life because it requires you watch to always be listening out for the wake word, adding a noticeable load to the battery.

Indeed, one poster on the official Garmin forums found that their battery
life estimate had dropped from 15 days to nine days a reduction of 40%. For another user, their estimate was cut in half from 12 days to six, while another went from 23 days to 12. For some people, disabling the OK Garmin feature instantly restored the battery estimate to its previous duration. You may like Garmin investigates disappearing workouts issue hitting Cirqa owners I thought Garmin's LED flashlight was just a gimmick I was wrong Garmin just priced me out of the Fenix 9: Heres what you can get for less Disabling the culprit (Image credit: Future) Forerunner 970 owners manual , for example, warns that enabling the OK Garmin wake word reduces battery life, although
the company doesnt say how much of an impact it can have.

What some users might not have realized is that the voice activation for the Garmin assistant is enabled automatically when you update to the latest software. That could leave you wondering why your battery life has been cut
in half without you changing anything manually. Get daily insight,
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If you want to disable the wake word, youll need to go to Watch Settings > System > Voice, then disable the OK Garmin feature.

Its possible that something else might be causing significant battery drain
on your Garmin watch. But with multiple reports indicating that the OK Garmin feature could be to blame, its worth trying to disable it if youre more concerned about battery life than having an always-on voice assistant on your wrist. Follow TechRadar on Google News and add us as a preferred source to
get our expert news, reviews, and opinion in your feeds. Todays best Garmin deals Garmin Venu 4 439.99 358.37 View See all prices Garmin Vivoactive 6 210 View See all prices Garmin Fenix 9 Pro 949 View See all prices voucher gift Garmin Instinct 3 299 View See all prices Garmin Forerunner 70 GPS Watch 184.12 View See all prices We check over 250 million products every day for the best prices



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Link to news story: https://www.techradar.com/health-fitness/smartwatches/this-garmin-feature-is-k illing-users-battery-life-heres-how-to-disable-it-and-get-more-juice-from-your -smartwatch


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